I Should Be A Tragically Hip Fan

There are plenty of reasons I should be, the least of which is that I’m related to one of the band members on my mother’s side, not that I’ve seen him since I was a little kid. As close as I’ll get to name-dropping.

Far more importantly, the tragically hip is a Canadian success story, on a similar level, although perhaps with a touch less longevity, as Rush or Neil Young. Their lyrics are intelligent, clever, often poetic. That’s right up my alley. The music is a blend of pop and some not quite identifiable sound that makes them distinctly Canadian. They’ve been successful commercially worldwide for three decades.

I should be a Tragically Hip fan, I’m just not.

I don’t dislike their music, and I can probably name a dozen of their songs, even sing along with a couple, but I don’t own a single album, I’ve never felt the urge to buy one, and it never would have bothered me to turn off the radio or TV while they were playing. Weird.

But it doesn’t matter if I’m not particularly a fan, because I can recognize the band as an iconic Canadian group. And I can recognize that their loss to the musical landscape is a tragedy. They have been a huge musical and cultural influence in the country, and beyond, projecting a Canadian sound to ears that would otherwise never have heard.

Some other artist or group will step up to fill the gap, I hope. It won’t be today, or tomorrow, or maybe even anytime soon. And really, the gap will be forever present in some way, because whoever does come forward to fill it will do so with a different sound and a different shape, and but they’ll be distinctly Canadian in their own way, or at least I hope so.